NewsIsh Monroe Professional Anglerhttp://www.ishmonroe.com/news.html
Fri, 09 Dec 2016 15:21:52 +0000Joomla! 1.5 - Open Source Content Managementen-gbChalk Talk: Ish on fishing to winhttp://www.ishmonroe.com/news/146-chalk-talk-ish-on-fishing-to-win.html
http://www.ishmonroe.com/news/146-chalk-talk-ish-on-fishing-to-win.htmlIsh Monroe has four Bassmaster wins to his credit, two of which required that he surpass the 100-pound mark to earn the victory. He’s also won two FLW Series tournaments on the California Delta, one of the premier big-fish venues in the country.

If a tournament requires big weight to win, you can bet that Monroe will be in the running. It’s not luck.

He believes that the phrase “swinging for the fences,” is one of the greatest myths in bass fishing – more akin to swinging at any old pitch you get than taking a strategic approach to tournament success. Nevertheless, he’s certain that there’s a science to putting yourself in position to win.

Unless he’s on the Great Lakes, you can be pretty sure there won’t be a spinning rod on his deck, or perhaps even his rod locker. When he's in the hunt for a victory, he’s typically using heavy rods, heavy line and certain kinds of baits in the heaviest cover he can find.

One go-to strategy he employs is what he calls “dropping bombs.” That involves taking a 1- or 1 1/2-unce tungsten weight, a Missile Baits D Bomb, a snelled straight-shank flipping hook and often a punch skirt, too. When others are looking for 30 or 40 bites on a soft stickbait, he’s often content with six or seven of the right bites from the heart of the cover. He said that on most popular tournament venues people “are fishing every day of the week,” so the easy bites get picked off. He’s learned to punch through grass, bushes and trash mats to find the fish that others overlook. “If it’s that hard to make that cast, it’s worth it to make that cast,” he emphasized. Read more

]]>alton@bigfishtools.com (Administrator)Latest NewsMon, 14 Nov 2016 22:05:26 +0000Ish Monroe talks Bassmaster Classichttp://www.ishmonroe.com/news/143-ish-monroe-talks-bassmaster-classic.html
http://www.ishmonroe.com/news/143-ish-monroe-talks-bassmaster-classic.htmlIsh Monroe headed into the Bassmaster Angler of the Year (AOY) Championship in good position to make it back to the Bassmaster Classic. Actually, since the ending of the first day of competition for the 2016 Bassmaster Elite Series season, Monroe had been in the Classic as far as ranking in the Angler of the Year point's race. Heading into the AOY Championship, you needed to be in the Top 39 and Ish was.

When the AOY Championship ended, Monroe was one point out and in 40th. Out of the Bassmaster Classic. Yet, all was not lost. The upcoming Bassmaster Northern Open could have an impact on Ish if the angler who won didn't fish all of the Northern events. You see, the Opens have a win and you are in the Classic policy, as long as you fish all three events in a division. See Story

]]>alton@bigfishtools.com (Administrator)Latest NewsTue, 27 Sep 2016 04:22:42 +0000Best frog fisherman? Rojas or Ish http://www.ishmonroe.com/news/139-best-frog-fisherman-rojas-or-ish-.html
http://www.ishmonroe.com/news/139-best-frog-fisherman-rojas-or-ish-.htmlAdmitting they throw gasoline on the fire, Mark Zona and Tommy Sanders reignited the war of words on who is the best frog fisherman in the world.

Zona mentioned he and Sanders both made statements on a Bassmasters show a few years back that Dean Rojas was the top angler with a frog. Not long after, Ish found Zona at an event.

"Ish pulled me aside. 'I need to talk to you. Just FYI, I am,' " Zona said. "And he was not joking."

Well, Rojas was just on LIVE with Dave Mercer, and was asked to respond to that. "He can say whatever he wants," Rojas said, "but I thinkn everybody knows who's No. 1." Rojas was asked, then, who falls behind him.

"I'll give Ish the benefit of the doubt and give him second," he said. "Crochet, probably third." He said there's some other secret frog hammers out there. With that, the LIVE feed went right to Monroe and asked him about who's tops with a frog.

"They ask every single time and they know my answer," Ish said, "so I'm not going to answer."

Photo David Brown Whether it’s his tournament marshals or co-anglers in a pro-am, Ish Monroe raises a lot of eyebrows with his fishing success on a topwater hollow-bodied frog, namely his signature series Snagproof Ish’s PHAT Frog. And not so much that he throws a frog; but rather, where he throws it.

Perhaps a simpler answer, and certainly a shorter list, would be where he does not throw the amphibian impostor. If he can reach it—and that’s not always a certainty—Monroe will send his frog there.

“The frog imitates so many different types of (forage) for bass, you can go just about anywhere you want with it,” the California pro said. “You can fish it on a bluegill pattern, a crappie pattern, a shad pattern, a duck pattern, a gopher pattern.

“You name it, and the frog can imitate any type of prey that bass want to eat.” Read Full Story

]]>alton@bigfishtools.com (Administrator)Latest NewsFri, 13 May 2016 00:50:51 +0000Ish picks three for spring bassin'http://www.ishmonroe.com/news/135-ish-picks-three-for-spring-bassin.html
http://www.ishmonroe.com/news/135-ish-picks-three-for-spring-bassin.htmlWith a name like Ish, ya just gotsta fish. In fact, Bass Pro Shops staffer Ish Monroe certainly does that. As a Bassmaster Elite Series pro and multiple title holder there and on the FLW Tour, Monroe knows a thing or two about bass fishing.

Ish took a few moments after an Elite Series event on his way to film a piece for Bass Pro Shops to share his three favorite techniques for catching bass in the spring. Learn How]]>alton@bigfishtools.com (Administrator)Latest NewsTue, 22 Mar 2016 20:24:54 +0000Late season giantshttp://www.ishmonroe.com/news/134-late-season-giants.html
http://www.ishmonroe.com/news/134-late-season-giants.html

You don’t hear much about catching giant bass in the fall. This is a tough time. But tough is not the same as impossible. It can be done.

One reason a lot of guys don’t catch a giant is because they’re fishing in the wrong places to catch one. They’re in shallow water catching the bass that are chasing shad. That’s not where the giants are at. And, they’re throwing lures that are way too small.

We’ve talked about this before. If you’re going after big bass, you have to accept the fact that you aren’t going to catch very many of them. If you want to catch a bunch of bass, go back in a creek somewhere and throw a small swimbait, a tiny crankbait or a spinnerbait. You’ll catch plenty, but don’t cry because they’re small.

It’s my theory that the really big bass don’t follow the baitfish in like the smaller ones do. They’re solitary creatures. Giants mostly stay in the same places during the summer, fall and winter. That’s out over deep water. They relate to deep points, breaks, drops and channels. True giants only care about shallow water in the spring and most of that is centered on the spawn. Read More

]]>alton@bigfishtools.com (Administrator)Latest NewsMon, 18 Jan 2016 17:54:34 +0000Fishing Tips: Fish a Frog for Late-Summer Basshttp://www.ishmonroe.com/news/132-fishing-tips-fish-a-frog-for-late-summer-bass.html
http://www.ishmonroe.com/news/132-fishing-tips-fish-a-frog-for-late-summer-bass.htmlIt usually happens in an explosive, splashy flash, one that heightens your senses and fires every neuron from head to toe with a dose of jet fuel. The impulse to set the hook is overwhelming. You’re dying to do it, to turn the reel handle about three quarters to tighten the line and drive a hook into the bass’ mouth.

But you can’t. For at least a second, maybe two, you have to wait. Only after pausing can you bow up and see the rod double over. Then you can start fighting the bass that wanted that frog.

Although frogs work for virtually the entire fishing season, late summer is when they truly shine. Vegetation is thick in lakes, bass are hungry, and real frogs are out along the bank. Rats and mice are out, too, sometimes skittering over shoreline vegetation, trying to find their way back to terra firma. Often, they don’t. Like your hollow rubber frog with twin hooks and skirted legs, they disappear in a lightning-strike explosion.

Professional angler Ish Monroe of California is a diehard frogger. From spring through autumn, at least one or two of his Daiwa Steeze rods is rigged with a Snag Proof frog. He’s thrown frogs on top of vegetation and in open water from California to Connecticut. Full Story Outdoorlife

]]>alton@bigfishtools.com (Administrator)Latest NewsMon, 03 Aug 2015 21:38:12 +0000Eliminating Distractions Has Been Key For Monroehttp://www.ishmonroe.com/news/131-eliminating-distractions-has-been-key-for-monroe.html
http://www.ishmonroe.com/news/131-eliminating-distractions-has-been-key-for-monroe.htmlConsidering how bad Ish Monroe's two-tour campaign in 2014 turned out, it might've been logical for him to concentrate his efforts on one major circuit this year and find out whether a narrowed focus might produce better results.

Nothing doing. Despite schedules that packed the 14 combined regular-season tournaments into an even tighter timeframe, he never wavered in his determination to again compete on both the Bassmaster Elite Series and FLW Tour. The outcome has been the polar opposite of a year ago, as he's excelled on both trails.

He's already wrapped up a Forrest Wood Cup berth with a 7th-place finish on the FLW points list. At 19th in the Elite Series points with three regular-season derbies and the AOY Championship remaining, he's well inside the 2016 Bassmaster Classic cutoff, as well. Read Full Story

Photo BASS - Garrick Dixon > Day 4: 5, 13-05 (20, 72-09) Despite losing the fish he thinks would’ve probably won him the tournament, Monroe heads to Arizona happy with his effort and finish, his best since taking 4th at the Sabine River in 2013.

“I’m in the top 15 in FLW points and in the top 10 for the Elites,” he said. “I’ve cashed a check in every major event I’ve fished and I’ve mixed in several Top 20s which is something you always want to do. I’m feeling good about the next couple events.”

Late in the day today, he had about 8 1/2 pounds and was set to go fish for 2-pounders to get over the 10-pound mark, but he talked himself out of it.

“I thought, ‘I’m here to win,’” he said. “I went back through my big fish area and caught a 3 1/2 and another 3 and then I saw the big one. I flipped up to her and she ate it and just came off. It was around 7 or 8 pounds. I saw her good. She came up and shook her head and just came off.

“The two fish I lost the first day cost me the tournament,” he said. “Throw this on top and it hurts. I put myself in position to win and I can’t ask for anything more than that. If I’d executed flawlessly, I would’ve won. Instead, I did pretty good and got 4th.” Read more

]]>alton@bigfishtools.com (Administrator)Latest NewsSun, 03 May 2015 08:00:00 +00004th: Monroe Locked Inhttp://www.ishmonroe.com/news/129-4th-monroe-locked-in.html
http://www.ishmonroe.com/news/129-4th-monroe-locked-in.html> Day 2: 5, 23-02 (10, 45-04) Monroe said he put an extra rod in the truck this morning just in case he thought he might need it. Tomorrow, he might bring along a couple other baits that have a tendency to work well at the Delta. If he keeps going like he’s been fishing the first 2 days, though, he won’t need but a couple rods on his deck.

“Realistically, nothing else has worked for me, but my standard-issue stuff,” he said, referring to frogging and flipping patterns.

He changed nothing about his approach or strategy today and went through the same areas he fished Thursday.

“I fished the same way and I’m just fishing what’s in front of me,” he said. “The good thing was today I didn’t lose any.

“The area I’m in has the right kind of grass and the right kind of cheese mats and it’s an area they live in. It’s not that they come to this area. They live there all year long and you can catch fish there 12 months out of the year.” He went through about 10 keepers today, but the only number that matters to him this week is 5.

“It’s the California Delta and if you fish for five big ones, you’re probably going to end up with an average limit of 13 to 14 pounds,” he said. “You will get that big bite just fishing around and if you put two in the boat, all the better. You might have a bad day fishing like that, but more times than not, when you fish for five big ones you have an opportunity to weigh in a big bag.”

Ish Monroe believes he's around the caliber of fish that could carry him to a win this week.He thinks the other Delta veterans ahead of him share the same mindset.

“These are all Delta guys and I guarantee you that Aaron’s fishing for big ones,” he added. “He might have a fairy wand in his hand or a dropshot, but he’s fishing for big ones.

"We’re not out there throwing a crank or spinnerbait or a ChatterBait trying to mix in limit fish. We’re fishing for 5 big ones.” Read More

>Photo BASS - Garrick Dixon Day 1: 5, 22-02 Ish Monroe, who’s coming off a 20th-place finish at the Beaver Lake FLW Tour last week, capitalized on some, but not all, of his opportunities today.

“I lost two that would’ve put me well over 30,” he said. “It’s not like I’m not getting the bites. It’s hooking them and then they came off.”

He had 8- to 10-pound class fish throw his frog and lost a 7-pounder as he tried to swing it over a dock. He said he ran more than 90 minutes to get to where he fished today and had to stop for gas to make the run back to the ramp.

“Where I’m fishing, there’s literally 40 pounds swimming around two times over,” he said. “They’re not on beds. They’re just swimming around so if I put them in the boat, it’s game over.”

With the weather expected to stay hot, he thinks it favors his frogging and flipping strategies, but he’s not getting too caught up in overanalyzing his decisions.

“I’m not really thinking too much about it,” he said. “I’m using the Andy Morgan philosophy – I just fish what’s in front of me. He doesn’t win a lot of tournaments, but he wins AOYs and is in the Top 10 consistently and is always catching good fish. I want to mix that with my killer instinct and I think I’ll be okay.” Read More

]]>alton@bigfishtools.com (Administrator)Latest NewsThu, 30 Apr 2015 08:00:00 +0000Go Big for Bedding Basshttp://www.ishmonroe.com/news/127-go-big-for-bedding-bass.html
http://www.ishmonroe.com/news/127-go-big-for-bedding-bass.htmlEverybody has his own ideas about the best baits and approaches for bedding bass, but I’ve had the best luck using the 7-inch Mizmo Ish Tube for fish that weigh more than 5 pounds. I know some guys like to finesse bedding fish or use smaller baits, but my theory is that the bigger the bait, the more irritating it is to the female and the more inclined she’ll be to hit it. It’s like when you’re a kid in a playground; you see other kids your size come and go, and you don’t pay much attention to them. But when an adult stranger comes in, you notice, and it sort of bothers you. Read More @ FLW Outdoors]]>alton@bigfishtools.com (Administrator)Latest NewsThu, 08 Jan 2015 19:34:59 +0000Ish Monroe’s seven secrets to catch big basshttp://www.ishmonroe.com/news/126-ish-monroes-seven-secrets-to-catch-big-bass.html
http://www.ishmonroe.com/news/126-ish-monroes-seven-secrets-to-catch-big-bass.htmlYou hear it all the time: Big bass aren’t little bass. That’s true. It’s also useless information. If we’re going to catch bigger bass — and that’s what we all want to do — we need to know how they’re different and formulate a plan to take advantage of those differences.

Over the years I’ve developed some thoughts on how to do that. Here they are… Read Story

Among the benefits of having sponsors are the unique opportunities that they provide to you. For instance, during this offseason I got to travel to China for the first time in my life to work with one of my main sponsors, River2Sea, designing and perfecting the Ish Monroe Series. I stopped in Hong Kong on my way there and back. It’s so high-tech and advanced; it’s amazing.

It was reassuring and refreshing for me to see that China was not the something I had painted in my head. It was not all sweatshops and pitiful child labor. These were happy people who wanted to work. Don’t get me wrong, they work hard, but they’re happy doing it, and they genuinely appreciate any opportunity. Read Full Story

Ish Monroe is a grinder. He rolls to the beat of his own drummer and has an uncanny ability to find the right pattern that gets the biggest bass on just about every lake. He is a very versatile angler and adapts to changing conditions well. He is also known as a world class angler with a frog and has designed two for Snag Proof, Ish’s Phat Frog and the Ish’s Poppin’ Phattie. We had a chance to sit down with him and do a quick Q&A on how to put more fish in the boat with less misses, the proper equipment for the frog, his froggin’ preferences.

W2F- One of the toughest choices for those first picking up a frog for the first time is which one is best. There are so many good ones and each has little things that make them different. What would you tell a beginner and why Snag Proof?

ISH- It seems to me that the original is always best, and in most cases, they have a lot of firsts. After 60 years of building frogs, Snag Proof has a lot of firsts and they were the original. They were the first to build a floating hollow body frog that didn’t fill up with water, they were the first to use Gamakatsu frog hooks, and they were one of the first to utilize their pro staff to actually design what they wanted in a frog. That means a bunch to someone who fishes a frog a lot. It should also give folks that buy them a peace of mind that their frogs will catch fish as we count on them for our livelihood. Read More

]]>alton@bigfishtools.com (Administrator)Latest NewsThu, 11 Sep 2014 19:29:37 +0000Monroe Says Struggles Were Mostly Mentalhttp://www.ishmonroe.com/news/122-monroe-says-struggles-were-mostly-mental.html
http://www.ishmonroe.com/news/122-monroe-says-struggles-were-mostly-mental.htmlIsh Monroe hopes some encouraging words he received last week in Maine from a fellow Major League Fishing competitor and Bass Fishing Hall of Famer are a portent of better things to come.

"I got a chance to talk with Denny Brauer, who I consider one of my mentors because of his flipping skills and also because he was one of the first guys who talked to me when I came out (on tour)," he said. "He told me some of the best years he had came right after having one of his worst years."

Monroe's 2014 campaign, during which he competed on both the Bassmaster Elite Series and FLW Tour, was dismal all around. He finished in the bottom third of the field on both circuits, thus coming nowhere close to qualifying for either championship event. His best showing on either side was a 33rd when the Elites visited the Delaware River last month.

He's now spending some significant time at his Northern California home, which he didn't see at all between late January and early July, and trying to recuperate from the long, disappointing grind that's just concluded.

"I'm not doing a ton of fishing stuff," he said. "I'm doing a lot of home stuff like cleaning out the garage and taking care of the lawn and a lot of the little things that you don't get to do when you're on the road for so long.

"At the same time, I've already booked hotel rooms for Toho (site of next year's FLW Tour opener) and I'm starting to work on Eufaula and Smith Lake. I spend a half-hour or an hour on things like that every day just to keep on top of things." Read more

]]>alton@bigfishtools.com (Administrator)Latest NewsFri, 05 Sep 2014 20:33:42 +0000Weekly Pro-Tips from FLW Outdoorshttp://www.ishmonroe.com/news/120-weekly-pro-tips-from-flw-outdoors.html
http://www.ishmonroe.com/news/120-weekly-pro-tips-from-flw-outdoors.htmlOne misconception that a lot of fishermen have about frog fishing is that it’s an early morning deal for really shallow water. Actually, it will work in water as deep as 10 feet, and it will work all day if the conditions are right. In fact, you’ll catch your biggest fish on a frog between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.

The only rule I have about frog color selection pertains to the amount of sunlight and the color of the water. If it’s a bright sunny day, I’ll use white. If it’s dark or cloudy, I’ll go with black. If it’s somewhere in between, I’ll probably use a bluegill pattern.

Otherwise, there’s no real trick to it. You just fish a frog back to the boat with a series of short twitches – call it walking the frog. For that, I use a 7-foot, 4-inch Daiwa Steez frog rod with a Daiwa TD Zillion Type R reel in 7.3:1 gear ratio and 65-pound-test Maxima braid.

I’ll tie the frog, say, a Snag Proof Ish’s Phat Frog, to the line directly with a double Palomar, and that’s it. As far as setting the hook, if I can’t seen any color to the frog when the fish grabs it, I set the hook right then with an upward popping motion. If I see a bit of the frog, I’ll wait a second before setting the hook to give the fish time to get it down its mouth more. If you miss the fish, throw the frog right back. Usually that’s all it takes, and I seldom use a backup lure. - ISH

]]>alton@bigfishtools.com (Administrator)Latest NewsWed, 07 May 2014 21:04:13 +0000Ranger Aluminum Tournament Series w/ Ish Monroehttp://www.ishmonroe.com/news/119-ranger-aluminum-tournament-series-w-ish-monroe.html
http://www.ishmonroe.com/news/119-ranger-aluminum-tournament-series-w-ish-monroe.html]]>alton@bigfishtools.com (Administrator)Latest NewsMon, 14 Apr 2014 16:59:07 +0000Monroe to Run Lowrance Wrap on FLW Tourhttp://www.ishmonroe.com/news/118-monroe-to-run-lowrance-wrap-on-flw-tour.html
http://www.ishmonroe.com/news/118-monroe-to-run-lowrance-wrap-on-flw-tour.htmlIsh Monroe, another two tour angler, works hard at his craft and for his sponsors. This season will be full with appearances and lots of professional fishing tournaments. As such, he’ll again run two boats, and his FLW Tour wrap will feature Lowrance as his title sponsor.

“I wouldn’t have been as effective as an angler without Lowrance Electronics on my boats all these years,” said Monroe. “Being able to see the smallest changes in bottom depth or composition has been very improtant to me as a shallow water specialist, and my Lowrance HDS and HDS Touch fishing systems have always given me that ability. Read More

]]>alton@bigfishtools.com (Administrator)Latest NewsSun, 09 Feb 2014 21:37:30 +0000Ish Monroe, Part 2: The Busiest Man In The Worldhttp://www.ishmonroe.com/news/116-ish-monroe-part-2-the-busiest-man-in-the-world.html
http://www.ishmonroe.com/news/116-ish-monroe-part-2-the-busiest-man-in-the-world.htmlIt seems that everywhere you look in the world of pro fishing, Ish Monroe has a presence. Last week, we pretty much decided it had little to do with the fact that he’s black, and more to do with the fact that he’s a human highlight reel.

Not long ago, it was Ish mashing the monsters at Amistad with his West Coast tricks. Fast-forward to Okeechobee and it’s 7-pound shootout events just a few years ago. And who could forget Ish just about calling his shot in Major League Fishing?

Numerous pros have more wins, some have won a lot more money. But when Ish is near the top, everyone knows it.

The previously mentioned MLF seems tailor-made for someone of Monroe’s caliber: A guy who plays to win, but loves doing so in front of the camera.

Monroe currently competes on the Bassmaster Elite Series and FLW Tour as well, and is quick to point out that all three circuits have their own appeal.

“FLW does a great job promoting for its sponsors,” he says. “And B.A.S.S. has built a brand that people follow. But MLF allows the fishermen to do the same thing for themselves and their sponsors regardless of who they are."

By this, Monroe insinuates that MLF is allowing its featured fishermen to build themselves as the promoted brand, as well as the supporters and sponsors of those fishermen, a la reality TV. Ever heard of Troy Landry, Uncle Si Robertson or a work-dodging kid named Chumlee? Wonder why they’re so drastically more popular than bass fishing stars?

Monroe continues: “MLF brings out the reality of tournament fishing without using the same old mold." Ish’s marketing side then kicks in “The fans of Bassmaster and FLW are the real hardcore fishermen. But the fans of MLF are the real hardcore fishermen and the occasional anglers. And it’s those occasional anglers that you want buying your product. For them, it’s almost like an infomercial." Complete Story

]]>alton@bigfishtools.com (Administrator)Latest NewsSat, 17 Aug 2013 14:56:00 +0000An Inside Look At Ish Monroehttp://www.ishmonroe.com/news/115-an-inside-look-at-ish-monroe.html
http://www.ishmonroe.com/news/115-an-inside-look-at-ish-monroe.html One of the real perks of this job is rubbing elbows with the Tour pros. While I find myself included in many competitive circles in my own right, I love hearing the inside scoop from the best in the business. The level to which these guys take this sport fascinates me daily.

Many of you commented about the series I did on Michael Simonton, and the struggles he's endured in trying to establish himself on Tour. This week and next, we’re going to look into a polar opposite character in every sense of the word as we’re delving deep into one of bass fishing’s most unique characters: Ish Monroe.

I’ve always been a fan of Ish. Nowadays, I love the fact that he takes power fishing to the extreme no matter what body of water he’s on, certain of his domination at each event.

Back at the start of his career, I admired his confidence and enthusiasm for all things involved in bass tournament competition. He propelled himself into the sport’s top tier through tournament performance, an incredibly grueling schedule, and some of the best promoting and marketing in the business. He did it all in the face of long odds as a kid from California, throwing everything in the ring and going for it. Complete Story

]]>alton@bigfishtools.com (Administrator)Latest NewsThu, 08 Aug 2013 15:30:44 +0000Support System Lifts Ish To New Heightshttp://www.ishmonroe.com/news/114-support-system-lifts-ish-to-new-heights.html
http://www.ishmonroe.com/news/114-support-system-lifts-ish-to-new-heights.htmlSince he left his California home in January and headed out on the 2013 tournament trail, Ish Monroe has slept a grand total of zero days in his own bed. The few days he spent in Las Vegas last week for ICAST were as close as he'll get to home for a couple more months still.

This is nothing new for the veteran of several two-tour seasons on the road. Having the kind of success he's had so far this year has made it a bit easier to be away from the comforts of home, however.

He's one of seven anglers to have fished both tours this season and his average finish of 37th across the 12 events (six FLW, six Elite Series) so far is tops among them, just ahead of Jason Christie, who's won three times. He's cashed checks in all but two events and will be looking for his 11th straight money finish when the Elite Series shifts to the St. Lawrence River in early August. Read More

]]>alton@bigfishtools.com (Administrator)Latest NewsTue, 16 Jul 2013 01:37:55 +0000Fish What You Feel like Ish Monroehttp://www.ishmonroe.com/news/113-fish-what-you-feel-like-ish-monroe.html
http://www.ishmonroe.com/news/113-fish-what-you-feel-like-ish-monroe.htmlThere are many lakes around the country that face extreme amounts of fishing pressure. Bass in lakes that are the size of a small state can become less hospitable with the amount of pressure that they get when a big tournament is in town.

We’re not just talking big as in the terms of a Bassmaster Elite Series or FLW Tour event coming to town; but also big as in sheer numbers of boats on the water.

For instance, the week prior to the FLW Tour hitting Grand Lake this past week, there was reportedly a 400 boat tournament that happened on the lake. A Nichols Marine tournament there routinely draws over 250 boats and they host four events a year. During the peak season, Guntersville; or any other TVA lake for that matter, can look like a parking lot with bass boats lined up fishing ledges. California’s Clear Lake will have tournaments scheduled for at least 90-percent of the weekends each year. Read More

]]>alton@bigfishtools.com (Administrator)Latest NewsWed, 12 Jun 2013 02:06:48 +0000Ish Monroe: Always Use Go-To/Confidence/Fun Baitshttp://www.ishmonroe.com/news/112-ish-monroe-always-use-go-toconfidencefun-baits.html
http://www.ishmonroe.com/news/112-ish-monroe-always-use-go-toconfidencefun-baits.htmlYamaha pro Ish Monroe, who fishes both the Bassmaster Elite Series and FLW Tour, often doesn’t have time for pre-tournament practice, so he relies on his four confidence baits.

“At every lake I fish, I tie on a topwater frog, a squarebill crankbait, a spinnerbait,and a flipping rod with a plastic creature bait. Then I look for the places where I can use them.

“These are my favorite lures, and I would rather fish them than anything else. I have enough confidence in them so that when I find the conditions where I can use these lures I know the bass will be there. I also know through experience that on any body of water I will find the right cover and water depth where at least one of these lures will work.

> Day 4: 5, 8-05 (20, 40-00) If this week taught Monroe anything, it’ll serve as a reference point for future tournaments in which he’s struggling to catch keepers. While he never did uncover any kicker-quality fish, his consistency earned him his best finish since winning at Lake Okeechobee a year ago.

“Consistency and catch limits every day,” he said. “That’s what I’m going think about every time when I’m struggling and I’ll think about one of the hardest places I’ve ever fished a tournament.

“I never got a big bite all week, but there was a load of fish where I was at. There’s something to be said in a tournament when you can find a load of fish and never see a single boat in your area. It was amazing. I kept waiting and waiting to see someone and I never did.”

He went through 25 fish today and had better success fishing a frog under the cloudy skies than had he earlier in the event.

“I have not had a start to a season like this in a long time and the last time I did, I easily cakewalked into the Classic,” he said. “I really want to be at the Guntersville Classic. The business has changed and it’s all about winning tournaments and making Classics. The promotion side of it is one thing, but it’s back to winning tournaments and winning Classics. If you go a couple years without a win, the sponsors start to doubt you. If you go a couple of years without making the Classic, the sponsors start the doubt you.” Read More

]]>alton@bigfishtools.com (Administrator)Latest NewsMon, 18 Mar 2013 19:39:27 +0000Sabine River 3rd: Beat Goes on for Monroehttp://www.ishmonroe.com/news/110-sabine-river-3rd-beat-goes-on-for-monroe.html
http://www.ishmonroe.com/news/110-sabine-river-3rd-beat-goes-on-for-monroe.htmlMonroe is running out of time to find out whether anything larger than 2-pounders live in the area he’s fished for 3 days, but he’s not willing to give up on it yet.

“I just can’t get a big one,” he said after coming in an ounce shy of 10 pounds. “It’s the same deal. I actually had more bites today. I don’t think there are big ones that live there. Something’s telling me there is, but something’s telling me that there’s not. It’s hard to leave a good opportunity to catch 10 pounds again.

“There is still a ton of fish in there because I missed a bunch. I’ve watched them come up on a frog and I don’t catch them, but I know they’re still there. I’m going to change up and throw something a little different tomorrow just to see what happens.”

Coming off an 85th-place finish at the Lewis Smith Lake FLW Tour last week, he’s thrilled to have a chance to fish on the final day tomorrow with a shot at the win. He’s already started working through the what-if scenarios in his mind.

“If I catch 10 pounds again, I’ll probably be in the Top 5 tomorrow and a Top-5 finish in an Elite Series event is good,” he said. “If I catch 10 pounds again and Rojas struggles or something happens, anything can happen in this game. Say I do get a big bite and he struggles. There are a lot of things, being this close, who knows. I’m just fishing and having fun.”

]]>alton@bigfishtools.com (Administrator)Latest NewsSun, 17 Mar 2013 16:14:18 +00006th: Monroe in a Groove Sabine River Day 2http://www.ishmonroe.com/news/109-6th-monroe-in-a-groove-sabine-river-day-2.html
http://www.ishmonroe.com/news/109-6th-monroe-in-a-groove-sabine-river-day-2.html> Day 2: 5, 10-09 (10, 21-12) Ish Monroe is thinking the odds have to eventually fall in his favor when it comes to catching a big fish this week. Every competitor above him in the standings has tangled with at least one fish in the 4-pound range and he’s hoping his time is coming.

“Keepers are not a problem for me,” he said. “It’s catching that big one. I bounced around a lot today trying to find one.”

He had plenty of time to do so after boxing a limit before 9 this morning. He had 12 keepers in all and about the same number of dinks. He’s kept his presentations simple and in line with typical river fishing, covering all portions of the water column with a frog, spinnerbait and a Missile Baits Missile Craw, which he’s been flipping.

“It’s one of those deals where if you have anything else tied on I think you’re wasting your time,” he added.

He’s surprised that he’s been by himself both days and thinks another 10-pound bag will earn him a Top-12 cut.

“I haven’t seen a boat the whole tournament except for when I come out of the area I’m fishing,” he said. “That’s an awesome thing. I really expected to see another boat or two in this area. The area that I’m fishing is so small you can’t have two boats in there. You’d have to follow somebody and if they got to a point where they had to turn around, one of you would have to back out. There’s about a half-mile stretch where you can’t turn around.” Full story

"I fished a lot of the same areas, but I slowed down my jerkbait presentation a little bit and went with a bigger River2Sea Trophy Minnow," he said. "I wanted a lot more (weight), but I had a few big bites that I didn't execute on at all. Tomorrow I'll go with the same program and try to catch a 20-pound bag."

He caught six keepers and his bag was topped by a 4 1/2-pounder.

]]>alton@bigfishtools.com (Administrator)Latest NewsMon, 25 Feb 2013 22:42:20 +000027th: Monroe's Average Downhttp://www.ishmonroe.com/news/107-27th-monroes-average-down.html
http://www.ishmonroe.com/news/107-27th-monroes-average-down.html> Day 1: 5, 12-00 - Ish Monroe was able to get a big bite (he weighed a 5 1/4-pounder), but it was the other fish in his bag that were lacking.

"I said to myself if I could get four 2 1/2- to 3-pounders and one big one, I'd be all right," he said. "The problem was that I couldn't get to that average – they were all smaller.

"About every 45 minutes I'd get a bite, but I didn't execute like I should have."

]]>alton@bigfishtools.com (Administrator)Latest NewsFri, 22 Feb 2013 22:03:36 +0000Tournament Toughhttp://www.ishmonroe.com/news/97-tournament-tough.html
http://www.ishmonroe.com/news/97-tournament-tough.htmlIsh Monroe fished his first bass tournament when he was 14 years old, and he still remembers finishing 11th. Today, 23 years later, the Yamaha Pro is still competing fulltime; in fact, he's fishing more multi-day national events than any other pro in professional bass fishing.

"I just love to fish," laughs Monroe, who's become known as "Tournament Tough" around pro fishing circles. This year he plans to compete in as many as 25 national tournaments on the Bassmaster® Elite, FLW,® and PAA circuits. He's also entered in several Bassmaster® Opens, and might enter some others if his schedule has any openings. Counting both official practice as well as the tournaments themselves, he will spend 150 or more days in competition.

"My season began the first week of March this year, and I fished five straight events back to back," says Monroe, "but after that fifth tournament I knew I was ready for a break. "At 1 p.m. on a Saturday afternoon I really hit the wall while I was on the water. I recovered enough mentally and physically to compete the next day, but then, after about four days of relaxing at a friend's home, I was ready to go fishing again."
]]>alton@bigfishtools.com (Administrator)Latest NewsTue, 24 Apr 2012 15:53:14 +0000From bedding fish to Thai foodhttp://www.ishmonroe.com/news/94-from-bedding-fish-to-thai-food.html
http://www.ishmonroe.com/news/94-from-bedding-fish-to-thai-food.htmlComplete Twitter Chat]]>alton@bigfishtools.com (Administrator)Latest NewsWed, 11 Apr 2012 17:50:55 +0000Ish slams door shuthttp://www.ishmonroe.com/news/92-ish-slams-door-shut.html
http://www.ishmonroe.com/news/92-ish-slams-door-shut.htmlPhoto - Seigo Saito - OKEECHOBEE, Fla. — When Ish Monroe wins in the Bassmaster Elite Series, he goes big.

Monroe of Hughson, Calif., won the Power-Pole Slam Sunday on Lake Okeechobee with a four-day total of 108 pounds, 5 ounces. It was his second Elite win. His first, six years ago on Lake Amistad in the inaugural event of the newly formed series, was also by more than 100 pounds — 104-8 to be exact.

“Winning with over 100 pounds is awesome,” said Monroe, who took home $100,000 and an instant berth into the 2013 Bassmaster Classic. “I really wanted to break my own record today, and it feels really good.”

His Sunday check pushed his Bassmaster career earnings to over $1 million. Weighing more than 100 pounds of bass over four days gave him a second entry in what’s known as the Century Club, an exclusive group of Bassmaster Elite Series pros who have busted the mark. Read More

The reigning Bassmaster Classic champion caught a career-best 31-03 sack today to pull within 10 ounces of 3-day leader Ish Monroe with 1 day to fish at the Okeechobee Elite Series in Florida. Tomorrow he'll gun for his third B.A.S.S. victory of 2012 – at three different levels, no less – and attempt to nail down his third qualification for the 2013 Classic. And March isn't even over yet.

The down-to-earth Lane encountered difficulty when trying to come up with the words to describe the roll he's on.

"It's crazy, crazy – I can't explain it," he said. "God is good."

Monroe, meanwhile, saw a big decrease in his bag weight for the second straight day and will certainly have to reverse that trend tomorrow in order to secure his second career Elite win and first since 2006. He started the day with an advantage of nearly 14 pounds, but on day 4 he'll essentially duke it out head-to-head with the hottest angler in the game – a Florida native whose Okeechobee résumé includes two Open victories and a ton of tournament experience. Read More

]]>alton@bigfishtools.com (Administrator)Latest NewsSun, 25 Mar 2012 17:16:27 +0000Monroe Busts Biggest Bag For Second Straight Dayhttp://www.ishmonroe.com/news/90-monroe-busts-biggest-bag-for-second-straight-day.html
http://www.ishmonroe.com/news/90-monroe-busts-biggest-bag-for-second-straight-day.htmlPhoto: B.A.S.S./Seigo Saito - What's the surest way to maintain a big day-1 lead? Catching the biggest bag in the field again on day 2 will do it.

Ish Monroe busted a 24-15 sack today at the Okeechobee Bassmaster Elite Series in Florida, giving him a 59-04 total at the midway point. He said a B.A.S.S. official informed him that his 13-11 advantage is the largest day-2 margin in the history of the Elite Series, which was launched in 2006.

Reigning Bassmaster Classic champion Chris Lane had another solid day (23-10) and climbed 2 places in the standings, but lost more than a pound worth of ground to Monroe and sits in a distant 2nd with 45-09. Everybody else is the equivalent of a quality bag behind the Californian. Read More

]]>alton@bigfishtools.com (Administrator)Latest NewsSun, 25 Mar 2012 17:13:13 +0000Ish Monroe's lead shrinkshttp://www.ishmonroe.com/news/89-chris-lane-brings-in-more-than-31-pounds-on-saturday.html
http://www.ishmonroe.com/news/89-chris-lane-brings-in-more-than-31-pounds-on-saturday.htmlPhoto - James Overstreet - OKEECHOBEE, Fla. — Nothing short of a heroic effort Saturday could have knocked Ish Monroe of Hughson, Calif., off his lead of 13 pounds, 11 ounces in the Bassmaster Elite Series Power-Pole Slam on Lake Okeechobee.

Meet Chris Lane, almost-hero. He brought 31 pounds, 3 ounces, to the scales Saturday and put it up against Monroe’s 18 pounds, 2 ounces. The result was Monroe, 77-6, Lane 76-12. Suddenly, after trailing Monroe from afar after two days, Lane was only 10 ounces behind.

That sets up Sunday’s finale to be the Ish vs. Chris showdown for $100,000 and an instant qualification for the 2013 Bassmaster Classic. Read More

Monroe of Hughson, Calif., weighed in 24-15 Friday to add to his gigantic first-day sack of 34-5 for a two-day total of 59-4 on Lake Okeechobee. Lane, who won Bassmaster events on Okeechobee in 2006 and 2010, had 45-9 for second place, moving up from fourth.

Monroe isn’t claiming anything, even with 13-plus pounds as a cushion.

“I want a 40-pound lead to be comfortable. Anything can happen tomorrow,” he said. Read More

]]>alton@bigfishtools.com (Administrator)Latest NewsSun, 25 Mar 2012 16:53:55 +0000Monroe Weighs 34-05 To Set Fast Early Pacehttp://www.ishmonroe.com/news/87-monroe-weighs-34-05-to-set-fast-early-pace.html
http://www.ishmonroe.com/news/87-monroe-weighs-34-05-to-set-fast-early-pace.htmlIsh Monroe didn't weigh the biggest fish on day 1 of the Okeechobee Bassmaster Elite Series in Florida – that honor went to Kevin Short. But the smallest specimen on Monroe's five-fish stringer was in the same class as the largest, and his 34-05 haul staked him to a big early lead.

The Californian has an advantage of nearly 9 pounds over 2nd-place Davy Hite, who weighed 25-09. Then there was a drop of more than 3 pounds down to 3rd, where Nate Wellman resides with 22-03. More

]]>alton@bigfishtools.com (Administrator)Latest NewsThu, 22 Mar 2012 23:17:16 +0000Ish on the big fish http://www.ishmonroe.com/news/86-ish-on-the-big-fish-.html
http://www.ishmonroe.com/news/86-ish-on-the-big-fish-.htmlPhoto - James Overstreet - OKEECHOBEE, Fla. — Ish Monroe of Hughson, Calif., had one of those magical days all pros dream about: hauling aboard lunker after lunker after lunker. The five best ones added up to 34 pounds, 5 ounces, and the first-day lead in the Power-Pole Slam on Lake Okeechobee by 8 pounds, 12 ounces, over Davy Hite.

So good was his day, Monroe was able to cull a 6-plus-pounder, trading it in for what turned out to be his largest of the day, a 7-11.

He said he caught every fish flipping a creature bait called the D-Bomb — made by Missile Baits, a company owned by one of his fellow Bassmaster Elite Series pros, John Crews. Monroe rigged it for a large profile, “and those big ones just seemed to hit it,” he said. Read More

Ish Monroe was unable to crack the 10-pound barrier on either of his two long runs to Pool 3.

"Greg Hackney was in the spot I wanted to fish, but since I didn't go there yesterday, I had to leave it to him," he said. "I fished around there, but just didn't catch them." Read More

]]>alton@bigfishtools.com (Administrator)Latest NewsTue, 28 Feb 2012 01:15:39 +0000The Ish Monroe Signature Serieshttp://www.ishmonroe.com/news/82-the-ish-monroe-signature-series.html
http://www.ishmonroe.com/news/82-the-ish-monroe-signature-series.html “I’m a shallow water angler,” said Monroe. “These new baits are built exactly as I wanted them so that I could tie them on and compete on tour each day. Every detail has been painstakingly developed, and they have become my go-to shallow crankbait in a short amount of time.” Complete Story]]>alton@bigfishtools.com (Administrator)Latest NewsMon, 20 Feb 2012 19:45:00 +0000What went wrong?http://www.ishmonroe.com/news/79-ish-monroe-what-went-wrong.html
http://www.ishmonroe.com/news/79-ish-monroe-what-went-wrong.htmlMoore, OK - Following each Bassmaster Elite Series, Bassmaster Open, and FLW Tour Open tournament during the 2012 season, The BASS ZONE will interview two anglers who finished in the bottom half of the field to find out “what went wrong?”

It’s easy to get the winning details from an angler who just lifted a trophy – It’s tougher to go one-on-one with an angler who just missed the cut by 20-pounds, failed to catch a limit the entire tournament, and dropped 10 places in the Angler Of the Year standings. Complete Story

1/9/2012 - AdvancedAngler.com Anyone who follows the pro bass tours knows that Ish Monroe is a shallow water junkie. The shallower he can catch them, the more at home he feels. Whenever there is clumped grass; you’ll find Ish there, wherever you find matted weeds, Ish will be there; find tangled wood, reeds or trash, you’ll find Ish there.

His penchant for skinny water has birthed his signature Snag Proof Phat Frog, and a public recognition of his with heavy tungsten weights, braided line, stout rods and thick gauge hooks is inevitable. So committed is he to shallow, nasty water, that he keeps two rods rigged at all times; Flipping and Punching rod and his Frog rod.

While those two rods are notorious for producing big bites in grime infested skinny water; Monroe has found them to be effective at other times as well. He said that experimenting with his friend; former Bassmaster Tour pro and Western FLW Pro Zack Thompson, has showed him that they are effective elsewhere.

“I was with Zack in Frank’s Tract – in the middle of the Delta – one day when he told me to watch him,” said Monroe. “He grabbed the Flippin’ Stick he had been Punching matted hyacinth with and made a cast to the middle of the bay.” Monroe said that at first he thought it Thompson was being funny, but when it produced a solid keeper, Monroe took notice.

Since that day, the Hughson, Calif. pro has experimented with the technique all over the country and has found it to be very effective. So much so that he has given the technique a name – “Droppin’ Bombs,” he said. “I use it to shake them up and make them bite when they’re sluggish; and it really works.” Heavy for the Extremes

Going to the extremes of weight in a lure is an option at certain times of the year. There are times that a weightless lure will make a bass bite in hot or cold water, and there are times that the opposite happens. Stories of switching to a heavy jig or a big worm weight in super hot or super cold water are frequently told.

There are times that waters across the country reach as much as 100 degrees, and when that happens, bass don’t always like to feed – until they have to. When that happens, anglers often try putting a 3/4 to 1-ounce jig on their line, or using a heavy tungsten Flipping weight on a Texas Rig to make fish react.

The high rate of speed of a heavy lure falling past their noses in cover or around structure can make a bass strike out of impulse when a slow moving lure won’t even make them move. Monroe believes that this response can be triggered at any time, and any depth range. So, he uses the same rig that he Flips with to trigger those strikes.

Bomb Gear

Monroe said he uses the same setup for casting a Bomb Rig than he does for Flipping it because the length and power of the rod helps him control the bait better on the cast. “If I try and lighten up on the rod for more tip, then it takes more effort to cast the rig,” he said. “I also need the length to seep the lure up off the bottom to mimic stroking a jig, so a longer rod helps with that too.”

In the past he has used every manner of creature bait on the market, but when he recently signed with the brand new Missile Baits Company founded by his friend and Elite Series roommate John Crews; the new D Bomb creature bait became his new favorite. “The D Bomb is a little bulkier, so it appeals to larger fish, and I can put a larger hook in it; even a 6/0 Punch Hook,” said Monroe. “It has a meaty, solid head before the rings start on the body, so it holds the hook well when I’m ripping it off the bottom. But, the ringed body makes the fish hold on because it feels so soft in their mouth – it’s the best of both worlds, durability and softness.”

Cast and Hop

Monroe said that he makes a long cast past a piece of offshore structure and lets the lure fall vertically past the fish. Once it hits bottom, the lure creates a puff from slamming into the bottom and stirring up silt; strikes usually occur then. If he doesn’t get a strike on the initial fall, he lift the lure up off the bottom, allows it to fall on semi-slack line again, repeating the motion until he is past the structure.

He uses a similar approach around vertical cover such as docks or standing timber. “The speed of the fall can trigger strikes from fish relating to dock pilings or standing timber,” he said. “I pitch this out near the cover and let it fall straight down with the reel in free spool. If a bass strikes, I turn the reel handle and set the hook. If it hits a limb and stops, I shake it off and let it fall some more; it’s an awesome way to trigger reaction strikes.”

When?

While he first started using the technique in extremely hot or extremely cold water, Monroe said it works all the time. “I pretty much have it tied on all the time except for the actual spawn,” he said. “I’ve caught them on it around docks during postspawn, on offshore ledges during summer and again in the fall. The only other time I don’t throw it is on heavy rockpiles because the heavy sinker can get wedged pretty easily, but it is effective in a lot of areas and different times of the year.”

SALEM, Va. (Jan. 5, 2012) – With more than 10 years as a professional angler on the nation’s top circuits, John Crews brings his design and tournament experience into the market with the launch of MISSILE BAITS.

MISSILE BAITS provides serious anglers with new baits designed by a professional angler who has tested them on some of the nation’s best waters. Having already proven his mettle as a designer of top crankbaits with SPRO, Crews enters the world of soft plastics with MISSILE BAITS.

“This is a project I have been planning for quite a while,” said Crews, who has fished at the top tournament levels for 11 years. “The designs are all custom, unique, and exactly what we need on the pro tour. If MISSILE BAITS are good enough for me to compete with on tour, we know we will be providing anglers of all skill levels with soft plastics that they can have success with and immediate confidence in.”

MISSILE BAITS offers five custom shapes:

--- the D Bomb, a 4.5-inch beaver-style with a ribbed body and flappers designed for extra action

--- the Tomahawk, an 8.75-inch double ribbon tail that gives extra action in a proven-sized worm.

--- the Twin Turbo, a 3.3-inch twin tail grub that can be Texas-rigged, fished as a jig trailer and more

--- the Drop Craw, a slender, 3-inch crawfish shaped bait designed for fishing on a drop shot

--- the Missile Craw, a 4-inch crawfish-shaped bait with a uniquely designed hook slot for tremendous hookups. The Missile Craw can be used as a punch bait, pitch bait or even on a shaky head.

MISSILE BAITS will be offered at a suggested retail of $3.99, providing anglers with a value-minded lineup of baits produced by anglers with championship experience.

Three-time Bassmaster champion Ish Monroe of California will join Crews in promoting MISSILE BAITS. Monroe will be fishing with MISSILE BAITS during the 2012 tournament season.

Monroe said he knows the new MISSILE BAITS lures will be effective for him on tour.

“Over my career, I have gotten very particular about what is on my line when money and championships are at stake,” he said. “The designs we have with MISSILE BAITS are dialed in perfectly. I can’t wait to use these new soft plastic baits across the country! I am going to flip, pitch, and cast my way to victory with MISSILE BAITS.”

Pro-engineered MISSILE BAITS is ready to launch into the marketplace, aimed to deliver results to anglers on the water and for retailers on their shelves. MISSILE BAITS is constructed to provide ample opportunity for the tackle retailer and a value-minded approach for the consumer. MISSILE BAITS is open for dealer inquiries.

MISSILE BAITS is a small company dedicated to creating serious soft plastic baits to help anglers catch more fish. The designs are straight off the top-level professional bass tour. Based in Salem, Va., MISSILE BAITS works relentlessly to make the best baits, show their customers how to use them and stay on the cutting edge of bass fishing. New products and videos will continue to blast off into 2012 and beyond. Visit www.MISSILEBAITS.com for videos, tips, forums, and more.

]]>alton@bigfishtools.com (Administrator)Latest NewsFri, 06 Jan 2012 17:09:01 +0000Basszone 2011 In Focus Ish Monroehttp://www.ishmonroe.com/news/74-basszone-2011-in-focus-ish-monroe.html
http://www.ishmonroe.com/news/74-basszone-2011-in-focus-ish-monroe.htmlHeading into the final tournament of the 2011 Elite Series season on Wheeler Lake, Ish Monroe was on a mission. After a dismal 91st place finish at Lake Murray put him in jeopardy of missing the 2012 Classic, Monroe bounced back with a 4the place finish at the Arkansas River and kept it rolling at Wheeler.
These two bass on the final day of competition at Wheeler, where he brought a 13-14 limit to the scales, helped Monroe to his second consecutive 4th place finish to close out the regular season. It wasn’t a Gatorade shower, but it was pretty close to one. Complete Story]]>alton@bigfishtools.com (Administrator)Latest NewsMon, 26 Dec 2011 23:11:02 +0000Monroe goes wire-to-wirehttp://www.ishmonroe.com/news/43-monroe-goes-wire-to-wire.html
http://www.ishmonroe.com/news/43-monroe-goes-wire-to-wire.html

Fun, frog key for Elite angler's victory on Oneida

James Overstreet

AUBURN, N.Y. -- Ish Monroe had a ball on Oneida Lake for the third straight day as he went wire-to-wire for the win of the final 2011 Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Northern Open.

Monroe rode a hot frog bite and backed it up with a prototype flipping bait to sack 51-2, more than two pounds ahead of runner-up Michael Simonton.

“I tell you what, this feels awesome. I’ve won on all the (B.A.S.S.) levels; an Elite Series event, Federation-level event and now that I’ve won an Open it feels really good,” he said as he clutched his trophy. Complete Story

Sep 23, 2011 - SYRACUSE, N.Y. – No one had any way of knowing when signing up for the 2011 Bass Pro Shop Bassmaster Northern Open series, but fishing Oneida Lake this week could turn into an advantage in the 2012 Bassmaster Elite Series.

That’s because when the 2012 schedule was announced this summer, it included a stop on Oneida Lake to close the regular season, Aug. 23-26.

“I definitely feel like it was a worthwhile investment of time,” said Kevin Short, who finished 31st at Oneida Lake Friday with 26 pounds, 7 ounces. Complete Story

Ish Monroe is having more fun, leading after Day One of the Northern Open on Oneida Lake.

Sep 22, 2011 - Monroe cracks Oneida for two-pound lead after Day OneSYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Anglers had no problem filling out limits on Day One of the third and final Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Northern Open on Oneida Lake in central New York.

The trick, however, was finding better-than-average fish to bring to the scales. Bassmaster Elite Series pro Ish Monroe of Hughson, Calif., found the five best of the 138-boat field, amassing 19 pounds, 14 ounces to take the lead on the first day of competition. Complete Story

Monroe came into the event at 50th in the AOY race (points). Those who finish the season 28th or better in the points receive a Bassmaster Classic berth, although that number will drop to at least 30th, and perhaps well beyond, due to double-qualifications.

So Monroe's primary goal this week was a Top 25, which would put him into the Classic range, and perhaps provide a chance at a Top 12. He's well on his way to both of those, courtesy of his Snag Proof Ish's Phat Frog and a flip-bait.

He lost a big one at boatside, and could never shake a 13-inch spotted bass.

"It was a fun day, except for that one I lost," Monroe told BassFan. "I'm very happy with it. I'll take 12 pounds tomorrow and be completely happy. If you look at the weights, 50th place is 6 1/2 pounds. That tells you how tough it is. There are a lot of great fishermen who are struggling. Complete Story

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — For the second time of the Bassmaster Elite Series season, bass fishing legend Denny Brauer of Camdenton, Mo., took the lead on the first day.

And on what was arguably the toughest first day of any event in the 2011 Elite season, Brauer’s 14 pounds, 10 ounces of Arkansas River bass was just enough to command the top spot in the Diamond Drive on Thursday. He was 2 ounces ahead of Ish Monroe of Hughson, Calif., in second place with 14-8, and more than a pound in front of Keith Poche of Troy, Ala., third with 13-8. Complete Story

LAGRANGE, Ga. — Securing his second Bassmaster Elite Series top-12 cut in a row, and this time with the lead, Ish Monroe was a happy man Saturday. He has, in fact, been feeling great about his fishing in general

“I’m going out there fishing, and having fun, there’s nothing special about what I’m doing,” Monroe said. “I don’t get mad. I don’t get frustrated. I’m chattin’ it up with the crowd back there near me, and enjoying the day. That’s what it’s all about.” Read more

]]>alton@bigfishtools.com (Administrator)Latest NewsTue, 10 May 2011 14:34:47 +0000Day Four on the Water with Ishhttp://www.ishmonroe.com/news/37-day-four-on-the-water-with-ish.html
http://www.ishmonroe.com/news/37-day-four-on-the-water-with-ish.htmlGo on the water with Ish Monroe. Click Here]]>alton@bigfishtools.com (Administrator)Latest NewsMon, 09 May 2011 14:41:54 +0000Mojo Workin'http://www.ishmonroe.com/news/34-mojo-workin.html
http://www.ishmonroe.com/news/34-mojo-workin.html

{rokbox}images/stories/photos/ish1.jpg{/rokbox}

MANY, La. -- Ish Monroe has his mojo workin' -- finally.

After a string of poor performances to start the 2011 Bassmaster Elite Series season -- and a run of what he calls bad mojo for the past two and a half years -- Monroe appears to be turning it around this week in Louisiana. Monroe squeaked into Sunday's final round in the 12th and last qualifying spot. Complete Story

]]>alton@bigfishtools.com (Administrator)Latest NewsSun, 17 Apr 2011 09:51:09 +0000An 11-pounder, $10k and a lucky sandwich from Palaniukhttp://www.ishmonroe.com/news/35-an-11-pounder-10k-and-a-lucky-sandwich-from-palaniuk.html
http://www.ishmonroe.com/news/35-an-11-pounder-10k-and-a-lucky-sandwich-from-palaniuk.htmlComplete Story]]>alton@bigfishtools.com (Administrator)Latest NewsFri, 15 Apr 2011 19:00:00 +0000Hectic 7-Week Stretch Little Practice, Lots Of Competition Suits Monroe http://www.ishmonroe.com/news/33-hectic-7-week-stretch-little-practice-lots-of-competition-suits-monroe-.html
http://www.ishmonroe.com/news/33-hectic-7-week-stretch-little-practice-lots-of-competition-suits-monroe-.htmlMore ]]>alton@bigfishtools.com (Administrator)Latest NewsMon, 17 Jan 2011 07:09:02 +0000Ouachita Patterns 2–5http://www.ishmonroe.com/news/32-ouachita-patterns-25.html
http://www.ishmonroe.com/news/32-ouachita-patterns-25.html"I was fishing everything," he said. "The Repo Man was up under overhanging trees in the shade, across secondary and minor points. You had a lot of little points in the backs of pockets that had grass, and the fish were relating to the grass. I was just covering a lot of water. Complete Story]]>alton@bigfishtools.com (Administrator)Latest NewsSun, 06 Jun 2010 12:21:31 +00005th: Monroe Finally Made ithttp://www.ishmonroe.com/news/29-5th-monroe-finally-made-it.html
http://www.ishmonroe.com/news/29-5th-monroe-finally-made-it.html

Prior to today, Monroe had won a Stren, a Western FLW Series and two BFLS, but he'd never made an FLW Tour cut over the 2 1/2 years he fished the Tour. That changed today when he made the cut in 5th.

"Yeah, I finally made one on the Tour side," he said. "This is my third year fishing the tour – basically my 15th event. My run with FLW has been pretty strong – I think in 60 tournaments I've had like 18 Top 10s with four wins and $450,000 in winnings – but it feels good to make it on the Tour." Complete Story

Monroe, who's now en route to next week's Potomac AFS, is stoked to have a shot at the AOY title.

"I'm happy with the finish," he said. "I gained some points on Bryan Thrift. Brent got a few points on me, but it makes the race a little closer and anything's possible. Plus, I pretty much guaranteed myself a spot in the Cup – I'm 99.9% locked in with a shot at AOY. If I can crack a Top 10 at Guntersville and Bryan's a Top 40, it's going to be close."

About his light bag today (9-04), Monroe said: "I never saw them today. They dropped the water a foot last night and it scattered those fish horribly. I came up on one little wolfpack of fish and they weren't even that big.

"I tried a few little other things – I went and flipped for a little bit, and I went back to a swimbait and tried a smaller swimbait to see if it could fire some fish up. It didn't. Then I just hammered it out with a topwater. I had nine keeper bites and landed five." Complete Story

Monroe, who's now en route to next week's Potomac AFS, is stoked to have a shot at the AOY title.

"I'm happy with the finish," he said. "I gained some points on Bryan Thrift. Brent got a few points on me, but it makes the race a little closer and anything's possible. Plus, I pretty much guaranteed myself a spot in the Cup – I'm 99.9% locked in with a shot at AOY. If I can crack a Top 10 at Guntersville and Bryan's a Top 40, it's going to be close."

About his light bag today (9-04), Monroe said: "I never saw them today. They dropped the water a foot last night and it scattered those fish horribly. I came up on one little wolfpack of fish and they weren't even that big.

"I tried a few little other things – I went and flipped for a little bit, and I went back to a swimbait and tried a smaller swimbait to see if it could fire some fish up. It didn't. Then I just hammered it out with a topwater. I had nine keeper bites and landed five." Complete Story

]]>alton@bigfishtools.com (Administrator)Latest NewsFri, 28 May 2010 19:00:00 +0000 Monroe finally makes the cuthttp://www.ishmonroe.com/news/28--monroe-finally-makes-the-cut.html
http://www.ishmonroe.com/news/28--monroe-finally-makes-the-cut.htmlAfter many attempts to crack the final day roster at an FLW Tour event, Ishama Monroe finally achieved his goal – netting a total three-day catch of 42 pounds, 2 ounces to grab the fifth and final qualifying spot heading into the finals.

“I really wanted to make the top five,” said Monroe. “I always wanted to make the top 10 and I finally did it at Lake Norman. But then you guys changed (the format) to the top five. So it’s a good feeling to finally make it.”

Monroe said that he’s using a Paycheck Bait Repo Man top-water and Snag Proof Phat Frog to land the majority of his catch. He said that he’s targeting schooling post-spawn bass and that most of his catch is coming in 2 feet of water or less.

“The shade has been the whole key,” said Monroe. “I’ve been fishing pockets, the whole pocket, because the bass are staging all over the place.

“I actually should be in a better position than I am,” Monroe continued. “Yesterday I had an opportunity for 20 pounds. And I lost a 5-pounder this morning. But overall I feel pretty good.”

Day four of FLW Tour competition on Lake Ouachita resumes during tomorrow’s takeoff, scheduled to take place at 6:30 a.m. at the Mountain Harbor Resort and Spa, located at 994 Mountain Harbor Road in Mount Ida, Ark.]]>alton@bigfishtools.com (Administrator)Latest NewsFri, 28 May 2010 11:43:53 +00007th: Monroe Back in Focushttp://www.ishmonroe.com/news/27-7th-monroe-back-in-focus.html
http://www.ishmonroe.com/news/27-7th-monroe-back-in-focus.html

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FLW Outdoors

Two-tour pro Ish Monoe is "okay" with his finish, simply because it shows he's back on track. He had a disastrous home-state campaign the past few weeks with BASS's California swing, but a 7th-place finish here put him back on the right path. And he did it on a single day of practice.

"I told my co-angler today that I think I used up all my luck in '06," he said. "That year I qualified for both championships by one place and won two tournaments. I just think I used it all up.

"A good example is today. I got snagged on a stump and I was trying to pop it off and it wouldn't come. I moved up and looked down and a 4- or 5-pounder was staring at my crank. It I'd had any luck, the crank would have popped off and the fish would have smacked it.

"But I'm okay with the finish because like I said, I knew my mindset in California was wrong, and this has got me back into the mindset of not fishing one event, but a whole season. Championships are what's most important, and you can't win championships if you're not in them." Read More

California two-tour pro Ish Monroe was a favorite to win one of the two California Elite Series events the past 2 weeks. Instead he imploded and posted finishes of 49th and 75th (no checks).

That messed with his head real bad, he said, and it took a long cross-country trip to chase it out.

"My head was real messed up. My good buddy Aaron Coleman rode back with me, and having that 38-hour drive gave me time to clear it out. Aaron asked me what happened in California. I told him I had areas where I knew I could be consistent, but I didn't go to those areas. I was fishing with a different mindset – I was fishing for big ones and trying to win an event and break records. I didn't have that focus you need to fish a full tour. Now that I'm back here, I have that mindset now." Read More

]]>alton@bigfishtools.com (Administrator)Latest NewsMon, 29 Mar 2010 14:01:37 +0000Much-Leaner Monroe Ready To Tackle Hectic Schedulehttp://www.ishmonroe.com/news/25-much-leaner-monroe-ready-to-tackle-hectic-schedule.html
http://www.ishmonroe.com/news/25-much-leaner-monroe-ready-to-tackle-hectic-schedule.htmlSome people who've seen Ish Monroe recently for the first time in awhile have had a hard time recognizing him. His physique has been transformed from one reminiscent of a nose tackle to more of an outside linebacker look.

The Californian has been on a strict diet and workout regimen since early November and he's dropped 23 pounds. He didn't wear a tournament jersey during his seminars at the recent Sacramento edition of The Bass University because the ones he has would've have hung over his slimmed-down frame like the skirt on a mop jig.

"I told (the producer of his jerseys) that at some point this year I'm going to want a tight muscle shirt with all the same sponsor logos," he said. "And I'm not going to have anything hanging out on the sides. Read More

Have questions about how to pull hefty fish from heavy cover? Ask Ish!

Ish has got the answers.

"Yo, Ish!" fans better be prepared for the biggest, baddest season yet! Season Three of the show is going to focus on catching giant bass.

In 2009, Ish Monroe will travel to Falcon Lake to address all of your questions related to big bass because, as always, the show is about the fans.

"Expect a lot of action on giant bass," Ish said. "And a lot of it will be left up to the fans, so we are looking forward to hearing from you!"

Who knows? Your email and picture may end up being answered on "Yo, Ish" on ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD! Ish may also answer your email right here on ESPNOutdoors.com.

You might even get a chance to appear on the show, "Yo Ish!"

Send in your fishing questions and your favorite picture of yourself fishing! 12 lucky emailers will see their questions become the topic of an episode of "Yo, Ish!" You might even get a chance to appear on the show! SIGN-UP

The recent California Delta Western FLW Series was originally to be held at Lake Shasta, but low water levels forced a return to the Delta for the season finale.

Before the event began, many in the field noted that locals would have a tremendous advantage, simply because the Delta's a different fishery in fall, and traditionally, circuits visit in spring and early summer.

The local prediction came true. The final Top 10 was dominated by Delta studs, and Delta expert Ish Monroe topped them all.

Monroe weighed 22-plus pounds on day 2, averaged around 16 pounds the other 3 days, and won by a relatively large 6-pound margin.

"It feels good to finally win on the FLW side, considering I've been a two-tour guy for a while," Monroe said. Read More

OAKLEY, Calif. — At 12:30 p.m. on the final day of the last Walmart FLW Series National Guard Western Division tournament of the season, Ishama Monroe had two bass weighing a combined 2 pounds in his livewell.

The Hughson, Calif., pro was an hour and a half away from a possible $125,000 payday, and the situation didn’t look good. He needed a good weight to hold off Mike Reynolds, Mark Tyler, Robert Lee and Bobby Barrack, all of whom were within 8 pounds, a pittance on the California Delta.

So what did Monroe do?

“I sat down, drank an energy drink, relaxed my head, put a couple of rods away and started all over,” said Monroe, whose four-day total of 70 pounds, 6 ounces earned him his first FLW Series win. “I went back to one of my old spots, and it paid off real well.” Read More]]>alton@bigfishtools.com (Administrator)Latest NewsMon, 13 Oct 2008 21:31:30 +0000Ten who survived the windhttp://www.ishmonroe.com/news/21-ten-who-survived-the-wind.html
http://www.ishmonroe.com/news/21-ten-who-survived-the-wind.html

OAKLEY, Calif. - As the weather has changed every day since the start of the Walmart FLW National Guard Western Division finale on the California Delta, so too have the anglers atop the leader board.

A warm day one ended with Scott Nielsen of Salt Lake City in first place. A windy day two saw Mike Reynolds of Modesto, Calif. rise to the top. Now, on a cool and windy third day, Ishama Monroe of Hughson, Calif. has claimed the top spot with 53 pounds, 4 ounces, 3 pounds better than his nearest challenger. Monroe has achieved a consistent pattern that’s landing him anywhere from 30 to 50 fish per day. Consensus opinion says will be tough to knock off the angler who calls the Delta home water.

But the Delta being what it is, anything can happen when the fourth and final round gets underway at 7:15 a.m. Saturday. Ten pounds separates first from 10th place, and 10 pounds is just one cast away on the Delta. Read More]]>alton@bigfishtools.com (Administrator)Latest NewsMon, 13 Oct 2008 21:29:38 +0000Heavy winds make day two a chore for FLW Series anglershttp://www.ishmonroe.com/news/20-heavy-winds-make-day-two-a-chore-for-flw-series-anglers.html
http://www.ishmonroe.com/news/20-heavy-winds-make-day-two-a-chore-for-flw-series-anglers.html

OAKLEY, Calif. - Wind seldom is a bass fisherman’s friend. On day two of the Walmart FLW National Guard Western Division tournament the California Delta was an unfriendly place to be.

Winds in excess of 30 mph blew from the north all day, whipping up whitecaps on the Delta’s open water tracts and sending a field of 120 pros and 94 co-anglers in search of protected water. For some that wasn’t bad; that’s where they were fishing from the start. But others junked entire game plans and when that happens the results are seldom good.

Yet just two of the top 32 pros failed to weigh a fish-fish limit Thursday. The heaviest bag of the day, 22 pounds, 6 ounces, was caught by Mike Reynolds and vaulted him from second into first place. The second heaviest bag of the day, 22 pounds, 5 ounces, pushed Ishama Monroe from 13th place into second place. Read More]]>alton@bigfishtools.com (Administrator)Latest NewsMon, 13 Oct 2008 21:27:50 +0000Classic Boundhttp://www.ishmonroe.com/news/19-classic-bound.html
http://www.ishmonroe.com/news/19-classic-bound.htmlThe 2008 Bassmaster Elite Series is history, and with it 36 more spots in the 2009 Bassmaster Classic are set (defending champion, Alton Jones got the first invitation).

Who's going to the big dance? Well, it's a bunch of the usual suspects and a handful of newbies. Here's your 2009 Classic field so far: Read More

Like Rook, Ish Monroe also tested both his deep and shallow bites today. His best area is relatively shallow, but he's not beating the bank like a lot of other guys.

"The spot I'm fishing is actually a shallow spot, but it's an offshore shallow spot," he said. "I broke off a couple today. I don't know what this spot has on it, but it's weird. It's cutting 50-pound braid on the hookset. It's not a tree, I know that."

He had several competitors in his vicinity today, and that concerns him since he has a later boat draw tomorrow.

"I'm going to try to go back there in the morning, but I don't what it'll look like," he said. "I'll just have to ease my way up in there and fight for it. I hammered on those fish today, though. So we'll see what it's like in the morning. I'm prepared to run some new water if I have to." Read More

Bassmaster Classics come in all shapes and sizes. There have been small-weight events, slugfests, contests decided by ounces and those by pounds, but the best any BassFan could hope for would be a Classic that puts the premium on savvy. Read More.....

Elite Series Pros, Monroe, Murray and Tyler Burned Up the Road and Air in September

Story by Dan O'Sullivan - Photos by Mark Jeffreys

Right Coast / Left Coast, USA. – They say that bass fishing can be like a drug, especially tournament fishing. Most anglers who dabble into tournament angling will go to great lengths to compete. Nobody exhibited the tendency towards extreme behavior and the desire to compete recently than Bassmaster Elite Series anglers Ish Monroe, John Murray and Mark Tyler. Read More

KISSIMMEE, Fla. — After 11 events from California to Florida, the 2007 Bassmaster Elite Series season has come to a close and 2008 qualifying spots have been determined for the Bassmaster Classic and Bassmaster Elite Series Read More

]]>alton@bigfishtools.com (Administrator)Latest NewsSun, 30 Dec 2007 20:24:24 +0000Anybody's Ballgamehttp://www.ishmonroe.com/news/10-anybodys-ballgame.html
http://www.ishmonroe.com/news/10-anybodys-ballgame.htmlIsh not out of it, even five pounds down

But Monroe thinks he's got as good a chance as any in the this six-man competition for the $250,000 first-place check. Every pro who survived the cut from 12 to six Saturday on Lake Dardanelle's Illinois Bayou six-hole course saw enough to think anything is possible Sunday.